The second thread for this quarter is DIANA HENRY.
HAPPY COOKING – AND SHARING!
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Last quarter’s COTM threads remain open, as do all prior COTM threads:
I am so excited to report on all things Samin this month. GOOD THINGS has earned a place on my favorite’s bookshelf. I have only contributed a few times on Hungry Onion. For some reason, I find it really hard to find the COTM archives section and navigate the site in general. I guess it is hard to teach an old girl new tricks. I am used to Chowhound. Hopefully it will be easier now that I have replied to this thread.
This is a really exceptional dish. I only used one can of chickpeas, one butternut squash, and 1 T. of mild harissa (the one Samin recommends in her book is amazing).
I was on the fence about it before I let it cook down, but that step is key. One of the best squash dishes I have ever had.
This is one of those recipes that you might skip over unless someone pointed it out to you. I made a batch soon after acquiring the book and I think I have had a batch in my fridge ever since. It is soooo good and soooo easy and if you make it , you will likely find a 1,000 used for it.
I make mine in a large mason jar using the vacuum packed square blocks of feta from TJs and a basic olive oil. I do not use a neutral oil. At first, I only had 2 kumquats as that was what I had left on my tree. I added sea salt as suggested and my first batch was a tad too salty. Since then I have replenished adding to the jar, sometimes almost emptying it. Over time I added the remaining 6 kumquats and additional bay leaves. The kumquats adds something special and they are nice scooped out and eaten with the cheese.
I use this cheese and its flavorful oil on avocado toast, spanakopita, as a dip put out with crusty bread, on salads, and a myriad of other ways.
I made this last year using up a bumper crop of meyer lemons from our yard. Started it just before leaving for a 8 day vacation. It took approx 2 weeks for the batch to mature after spending most of the time in my fridge. I didn’t have any fresh turmeric on hand, so I added a small amount of powdered turmeric to the brine upon maturation. When I pureed, the color was similar to that in the illustration. The taste is/was unlike regular preserved lemon. It is lemony and slightly salty, not the typical insane amount of saltiness associated with typical preserved lemon. I retained the remaining brine hoping to find other uses for it.
This spread lasts forever in your fridge if you don’t cross contaminated. It makes a great gift. When I made it, all my friends got a jar for their fridges.
It is good in so many dishes. Mixed into tuna salad, added to soups or stews, as a condiment, and any dish that calls for traditional preserved lemon.
